An initial WRC scoping study highlighted the potential hydropower generation at the inlets to storage reservoirs. In South Africa there are 284 municipalities and several water supply utilities, mines, all owning and operating gravity water supply distribution systems which could be considered for small, mini, micro and pico scale hydropower installations.
Most of these water supply/distribution systems could be equipped with turbines or pumps as turbines, supplementing and reducing the requirements for pressure control valves. The hydro energy may be used onsite, supplied to the national electricity grid or feeding an isolated electricity demand cluster.Thus the objective of this study was to prove that it is feasible and technically possible to generate energy from distributions systems; and to develop guidelines to identify locations which have potential for hydropower generation. In this regards, the application to install hydro electric turbines in a water distribution system is fairly new in South Africa and thus three pilot plants, were constructed showcasing of the intricacies in the development process and to demostrate the technologies. These being: -Pierre van Reineveld (Tshwane Municipality - 16Kw - Brandkop Reservoir (Bloemwater - (96KW) - Newlands (Ethekwini - pico units X2)